1958 Glasspar Del Mar aquired

[Will-E]

Now that I am over the first happiest day of a boat owners life, and reality is setting in, I am looking for some pictures of a Del Mar. Fiberglassics has some but far away, and generalization, I'd like some more closeups of interior, transom area, etc.
Stringers were replaced, looks ok, transom sound, but concerned the guy used all chopped mat to seal and adhere, to me that just soaks up the resin but does not provide any strength. No woven or cloth either.
Good thing going is the front glass is good, but the seal is shot. Not sure since the glass is a Stude, wonder if the seal is also or is it generic..
Not going to make a museum piece, but should turn out respectable I'm hoping.
Going to be looking for a long shaft, so question is will a 35 do ok, plane two people and their stuff, or should I go to like a 50? Max is 70 according to brochure. Not trying to do mach 2 with my hair on fire, dependability and mileage..
I'll get some pics soon..
(I've always wanted a Dorsett Catalina, but one just has not found it's way into my possession. So at least this is a boat that looks like a cabin on it; I am soo turned off of those more modern boats called "Cuddy Cabin" that look more like a ski boat on steroids...)
Will-E

[Helmar]

Those boats will get up on plain pretty easy. Great hull design if its the one I am thinking of...
Pictures please :GoodJob:

A 50hp engine will be great if that boat as loaded to capacity
The smaller engine will to just fine too, just not as fast...

I have a Catalina that needs Tons of work that I am thinking of just giving away.
Not going to part it out, just give it away in one hunk.
There is even a frozen 100 Merc on the back.

[Mcintry]

Helmar if you decide on giving it away again i might be very insterested, i saw your add but then you decided to keep it, but if you decide again to remove it from your inventory of old boats welll.......

[Helmar]

Helmar if you decide on giving it away again i might be very insterested, i saw your add but then you decided to keep it, but if you decide again to remove it from your inventory of old boats welll.......

Watch for an email.

[Seanfromseattle]

Will, Welcome. I have a Glasspar Seafair Sedan. You need to join the Classic Glasspar club. They will be a big help in your restoration. Please actually join (pay) for both clubs (glasspars and ours) they need our support.

On the classic glasspar site, go to the galleries section and look for del mars. Be sure to check out 'Bitsi', a recently restored to better than new del mar. Bitsi underwent a full rip apart, with some design corrections built in. There is also a large thread in the forums on Bitsi showing all the work. I have hundreds of Seafair photos, mostly collected by late night google work for Glasspar, Glaspar, and ebay & craigslist rip offs. Many of the good ideas I've found are slowly being incorporated into my boat.

By the way, is Tom Hull still in our club? I'd love to see his Del Mar sometime...

Good luck and welcome to the club.

http://www.classicglasspars.com/

[Will-E]

Thanks, been looking for more close up pictures.. Friend of the family had a G-3 at one time, that was fun, with a 90. I remember learning to ski behind that boat, plus we had one time, 7 skiiers up at once..
I did like the Seafair, in fact all the older "cabin" type small boats; just the Catalina's reverse curve transom was to die for. But it's been elusive. I'm at the age that I just have to start and actually finish a project and actually get to use the boat before the estate has to deal with it..
I have a friend that has an uncle who is up in the years that has a Catalina with a 40hp Scott. He's going with a slightly newer late 60's Evinrude, a 50; anyway, if I help him get the 50 on the boat, I get the Scott. Supposed to run nicely, and has been a fresh water motor all it's life. At least the price is right; is anything, trading stock if not at least getting on the water for now (after boat is refurbished somewhat)..
I found a brochure on a Del Mar from Mercury Proving Grounds with a Mark 55, (which I believe is an actual 40hp), two people in boat, showing 24.872 mph..
I've had several Merc 402's, simple and I loved them, and a couple 50's that were tempermental.. This is a low budget project; wife has pretty tight reins on this..
I'll head over to the glasspar site and have a look-see. Thanks for the info..
WW

[Will-E]

Well have the boat off trailer and properly propped up, about 6 inches off the ground, slightly bow high, so water will run to back if I get some in the boat. (of course, this is the coast)
I got some gel coat repair goo, two part type laying around, and some styrene, so I took a few of the gel coat cracks, used my drummel and groved them, wiped down, and filled. Sanded them, not bad.. BUt there are a lot of them over the entire boat..
Debating if I paint, or re gel coat. I've seen both ways. I'd think paint, even if two part, would be more user friendly..
Will E

[Bflaherty]

Well have the boat off trailer and properly propped up, about 6 inches off the ground, slightly bow high, so water will run to back if I get some in the boat. (of course, this is the coast)
I got some gel coat repair goo, two part type laying around, and some styrene, so I took a few of the gel coat cracks, used my drummel and groved them, wiped down, and filled. Sanded them, not bad.. BUt there are a lot of them over the entire boat..
Debating if I paint, or re gel coat. I've seen both ways. I'd think paint, even if two part, would be more user friendly..
Will E

Paint doesn't last as long, and you have to be a little more careful when buffing and cleaning later on. But painting is a lot less expensive, easier to do yourself and much easier to "touch up" if needed.
I am a fan of new gelcoat if you're building a show boat that will be babied and not really "used", but if you're like me and my crew and plan on using your boat the way it was intended (ski boats for skiing, cruisers for cruising and fishing) then paint is generally the way to go. Just my :TwoCents1:

[kmaleck]

Paint works great. I used interlux interthane on my 58. Their new two part is called perfection. The lighter colors lay out and look sprayed using just a roller but you can tip the darker colors to achieve a smooth finish. You will want to grind down the gel oat to remove the checking and seal with a high build epoxy primer. I rebuilt the transom and floor and made partitions out of mahogany to replace the fiberglass ones that came with it. I hung a 2003 75hp Yamaha four stroke and she goes 41mph and rides like a dream but trim required moving more weight forward to counter the extra hundred and some pounds of motor.

Some pics can be found here but I'll send them along.

http://www.fiberglassics.com/gallery...ar-delmar.html

[kmaleck]

I reckon I should add further information... The '58 Del Mar was rated for 70hp. Mine came with a 70hp Merc "dockbuster" (no neutral). I opted for the four stroke and I do not miss the ringing ears, watering eyes and mixing gas. If I were to do it again, I would opt for the smaller block of the 50hp four stroke just because the 75 is a monster. On the other hand, the 75 hot rods her up and gets the skiers up in a jiffy. One change I may make is to do a custom hood so it doesn't clash with the old school design of the boat. It would be fun to see people trying to figure out what it is.

The fiberglassics site (another fine resource in addition to this one) has a link for some brochures.

http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/Glasspar

[Will-E]

I recently aquired two 57 Merc Mark 30's but they are short shaft and manual start. But they are the red ones, which would look pretty good on there.
I also have an old Bearcat 55 that is sitting here, debating on evaluating its condition. It was leaning against the garage wall of a friend's neighbors place, and it fell over, breaking the lower cowl, bending the distributor shaft, and the top carb "V" linkage, but not sure what else. It weighs about 230 and was heading to the recycle yard when I made an offer and got that. It was a runner 4 years ago, only taken off a boat because boat was shot, so it might be fixable.
Still want to find a front windshield gasket and get that out and cleaned up (carefully)
I was routering out the gel coat cracks and repairing them, resanding, but since I'm going to eventually paint, maybe I should just grind off instead of doing it like I am. However, I've gotten the fwd deck and side decks done with the repair anyway.

[Will-E]

Welll... the neighbors tree lost a branch right on the Del Mar, he gave me $200, but the boat is just too far gone now, since it was in such a fragile condition with all the strength removed, but the front window is intact, anyone need one?
WW

[Helmar]

I recently aquired two 57 Merc Mark 30's but they are short shaft and manual start. But they are the red ones, which would look pretty good on there.
I also have an old Bearcat 55 that is sitting here, debating on evaluating its condition. It was leaning against the garage wall of a friend's neighbors place, and it fell over, breaking the lower cowl, bending the distributor shaft, and the top carb "V" linkage, but not sure what else. It weighs about 230 and was heading to the recycle yard when I made an offer and got that. It was a runner 4 years ago, only taken off a boat because boat was shot, so it might be fixable.
Still want to find a front windshield gasket and get that out and cleaned up (carefully)
I was routering out the gel coat cracks and repairing them, resanding, but since I'm going to eventually paint, maybe I should just grind off instead of doing it like I am. However, I've gotten the fwd deck and side decks done with the repair anyway.

Let me know what your going to do with that Bearcat engine.
I like the Bearcats...
And, where is, Near Astoria ? I have two shops, one in Quilcene Wa and building one in Sandy Or.

[TheBronze]

Ugh! That sucks. Nothing left to do now but pull the hardware for the next project.

[Will-E]

Hi, Well I sold the two Mark 30's to a friend that loves those old Mercs, mostly 50's into 60's before thru the prop exhaust. As for the Bearcat, a guy that goes by Jetman in Portland, picked it up, as he has a couple.
I was going to keep the bearcat and repair, but it's hard to get parts out of people who have them..
And when I got the 1966-65 Merc long shaft with factory power tilt/trim that probably has less than 400 fresh water hours, I just wanted to focus. I've been for the past 3 years, toying with probably 3 different boats here and there, but haven't yet gotten one to the water.. Not getting any younger, I just need to do it.
I have all the hardware off the Del Mar, and the front window out intact, and starting to throw other "to the dump" stuff into the open hull sitting on the trailer..
Will-E